Wisconsin has seen the number of organ donors rise since relaunching the state's donor registry in 2010, according to a published report.

Five years ago, Wisconsin had zero registered organ donors as the state transitioned into a new system that includes legal consent for the lifesaving medical procedure.

Now, about 2.6 million residents are registered as organ, eye and tissue donors. But there are still some 2 million eligible residents who have not signed up, Gannett Wisconsin Media reported.

Nationally, Wisconsin is slightly above average in the percentage of residents on its registry. Advocates hope outreach efforts, especially during Donate Life Month in April, will push the state's rate closer to 75 percent.

Gannett Wisconsin Media is teaming up with Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb to help build awareness of the need for organ donors in Wisconsin. Cobb, a registered donor since he was 16, toured the hospital in late March and recorded a number of video public service segments for the program.

"I want to raise awareness and make people more interested in finding out how they can help, and hopefully we can get more donors added to the list," Cobb said during that visit.

About 59 percent of people in Wisconsin 18 and older are registered as organ, tissue and eye donors, according to figures from Donate Life America. That places the state 23rd in the nation. The rank is a little higher, 19th, when residents older than 15.5 years are included in the statistics. State law allows teens to register as part of the process of receiving their driver's license.